Bridge: July 21, 2013

Most people who are immersed in bridge spend their time at the table. For them, the essence of the game is competition. But bridge has given rise to exercises more theoretical than practical.

Analysts have wrestled with composing and solving double-dummy problems, in which the challenge is to win some number of tricks with all four hands in view. (Analytical computer programs have rendered this type of problem obsolete.) In a single-dummy problem, you see declarer's hand and dummy and must find a play to make the contract against any lie of the cards. In an "inferential" problem, you must construct a deal that meets certain conditions.

A common problem type is "play or defend." You're given a full deal and a contract and must judge whether to try to make it or beat it. In today's deal, West leads the king of hearts against four spades. Which side would you take?

Say West leads a second heart. South ruffs, leads a diamond to dummy and returns a club: three, queen, ace. If West leads another heart, South ruffs again and arranges to ruff his last three clubs in dummy. He loses one trump to West, making four.

It won't help East to rise with the king on the first club and lead a trump. South can take the ace and come to 10 tricks by ruffing out West's ace of clubs, setting up a club winner.

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To beat four spades, West leads the king of trumps at Trick Five or earlier. Then if South ruffs two clubs in dummy, West's jack of trumps is revived, and South also loses a second club.